Clasp for supporting wearing apparel



Aug,- S, 193?. s. SEGAL CLASP `FOR SUPPORTING WE ARING APPAREL Filed Oct. 5, 1935 PIII INVENTOR- Patented Aug. 31, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT GFPICE CLASP FOR SUPPORTING WEARING APPAREL Application October 5, 1935, Serial No. 43,675

14 Claims.

The subject matter of this invention has to do with a clasp of the type having relatively swingable complementary clamping members particularly applicable for use in connection with wearing apparel to sustain the latter in an appropriate position on the body of the wearer.

The invention has as an object the provision of an improved clasp comprising hingedly associated complementary members adapted to be held closed by cam means carried by an actuator rotatably sustained substantially normal to fulcrum means pivotally retaining the complementary members.

The invention has as another object the provision of a novel reinforced clasp comprising pivotally associated complementary clamping jaws adapted to be closed by a cam of a rotatable actuator comprising a vertical shaft having a terminal and conveniently accessible manipulator in the form of a closed loop outside of the jaws and including spaced annular elements rotata'ble relative to and straddling fulcrum means pivotally retaining the complementary jaws between which a spring is interposed for automatically opening the jaws upon rotation of the actuator upon removal of the frictional engagement between an end face of the cam from one of the jaws, the manipulator having detent means cooperating with indent means in one of the jaws to preclude accidental rotation of the actuator to prevent involuntary opening of the jaws during a closed relation of the latter.

Other objects will appear from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a fragmentary portion of a suspender having connected thereto a clasp according to the invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a view substantially similar to Fig. 3, but illustrating the clasp open and disposed at right angles to its manipulatable loop.

Fig. 5 is a sectional View on the line 5 5 of i5 Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a fragmentary portion of the rotatable actuator.

Fig. 'l is an elevational view of one of the jaws.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary view in perspective of 50 one of the complementary jaws.

According to the invention, the clasp, generally designated IIl, comprises complementary pivotally associated clamping members or jaws II and I2. Jaw II is provided with spaced per- 55 forated ears I3 which are straddled by spaced perforated side flanges i4 extending from jaw I2. A fulcrum pin I5 is appropriately passed through the alined perforations of the spaced ears and iianges of the jaws to pivotally sustain jaw Il relative to jaw l2.

Surrounding pin i5 is .an inverted V shaped one piece spring l0 having spaced arms I 'I yieldingly abutting jaw H and a U shaped arm I8 abutting jaw i2. Integrally connecting U shaped arm I8 and the spaced arms il of the spring I6 is a pair of spaced coils IS which tend to diverge arms Il and I8 for urging the lower portions of jaws II and I2 apart.

Jaw l2 is provided with a top Wall 20 having a centrally disposed slot 2l for rotatably receiving a shaft or spindle 22 to which is rigidly secured a closed loop or manipulator 23 comprising an upper brace 2li adapted to sustain an elastic support or suspender 25.

Integral with a shaft 22 and laterally overhanging the same is an eccentric or cam in the form of a lug 25 having a substantially flat end face 2l. Shaft 22 is also provided with spaced annular flanges 28 dening a groove 29 for closely receiving the fulcrum pin I5. It will be noted that flanges 28, although rotatable relative to fulcrum pin l5 extend into and kbeyond opening 23 in jaw l2 and cooperate with the walls of opening 28 to prevent tilting of the actuator out of its normal or perpendicular position relative to fulcrum pin l5.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the clasp is closed, that is, manipulator 23 of the actuator has been rotated to dispose the cam or eccentric 26 against the upper portion of jaw II, thus causing the forward portion of the latter to pivotally move towards complementary jaw i2 and against the energy of diverging arms I'l and I8 of spring IB. In such closed relation of the jaws, the relatively wide rectilinear face 2l of cam 2E frictionally bears against the upper portion of jaw il and consequently shaft 22 is prevented from accidentally rotating. When assembled, spaced annular flanges 23 also provide means to prevent bodily displacement of shaft 22 relative to the vertical axis of the clasp.

To open the jaws, manipulator 23 may be rotated in either clockwise or counter-clockwise direction to remove the frictional engagement between eccentric 2t and the upper portion of jaw II. Hence, the lower portion of jaw II is diverged or swung away from jaw I2 due to the automatic action of spaced arms Il and I8 of spring It'. Rotation, however, of shaft 22 is limited by reason of the coaction of sides 30 of cam 26 striking against the upper inner surface of jaw l2.

According to the present construction, the pivoted jaws of the clasp may be opened or closed by rotating the actuator which comprises shaft 22, cam 25, annular flanges 28, and manipulator 23. Normally the vertical axis of shaft 22 is perpendicular to the horizontal axis of the fulcrum pin i5 and such relation is maintained by the spaced annular flanges 23 during any rotation of the shaft.

In an open relation of the jaws, Fig. 4, the clamping terminal lips 3l thereof are widely separated forming a gap permitting the insertion of a body 32 to be grasped and held between the jaws.

Upon rotation of the manipulator, eccentric or cam 26 moves lip 3! of jaw il towards lip 3l of jaw l2 to appropriately clamp the body interposed between the jaws. In such clamped and closed relation of the clasp, jaw l i is held locked due to the frictional engagement between at face 2l and the upper part of jaw il.

As shown, jaws ll and l2 are each reinforced by vertical ribs 34. These ribs enhance the appearance of the clasp.

With the fulcrum pin disposed between the rotatable annular flanges 28 and the latter arranged in noncircular opening 28 terminal portion 35 of shaft 22 may rotatably bear adjacent an inside surface of jaw I2. It is thus apparent that lateral displacement of shaft 22 is prevented by flanges 28, the sides of noncircular opening 28', the sides of slot 2l and the bearing of terminal 35 against jaw l2.

supplementing the locking engagement of the flat end 2l and jaw Il to prevent accidental unlocking of the jaws, loop 23 is provided with spaced detents or projections 36 adapted to interlock with correspondingly spaced indents or relatively shallow grooves 3l' in the top wall 2@ of jaw l2. By rotating loop 23, detents 38 ride over the curved surfaces of wall 2i? and are removably received in indents 3l, providing additional means to prevent accidental rotation of the actuator, that is, to preclude the removal of the frictional engagement between end face 2l of cam 26 and jaw H, when the jaws are closed to prevent involuntary opening thereof.

While the invention has been described in detail and reference has been made to specific applications thereof, it is to be understood that the invention herein disclosed is not limited to such specific applications and it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

l. In a clasp, complementary clamping members, fulcrum means pivotally .sustaining said members, spring means for holding said members diverged, and an actuator comprising spaced elements rotatably straddling said fulcrum means and having a cam adapted to engage and move one of said members for closing the latter.

2. In a clasp, complementary clamping members, fulcrum means pivotally sustaining said members together, an actuator rotatable relative to said fulcrum means substantially normal thereto, a cam carried by' said actuator, and spring means acting on said members to open the latter, said cam upon rotation of said actuator adapted to abut and move one of said members toward the other to grip an object interposed therebetween, said cam having means cooperating with said abutted member to prevent opening of said members, and detent means depending from said actuator, one of said members having means for interlocking with said detent means to prevent accidental opening of said clamping members.

3. In a clasp, complementary clampingk members, fulcrum means pivotally sustaining said members together, an actuator rotatable relative to said fulcrum means and substantially normal thereto, spaced elements rotatably straddling said fulcrum means and carried by said actuator to prevent vertical displacement of the latter in respect to said members, and a cam carried by said actuator for moving one of said members towards the other, said cam having means cooperating with said moved member to prevent diverging of said members.

4. In a clasp, complementary clamping members, fulcrum means pivotally sustaining said members together, a spring for holding said members open, an actuator comprising a shaft having spaced elements rotatably straddling said fulcrum means, and a cam carried by said shaft for closing said members upon rotation of said actuator.

5. In a clasp, complementary clamping members, fulcrum means for pivotally sustaining said members together, spring means carried by said fulcrum means for holding said members open, an actuator comprising a shaft substantially normal to said fulcrum means, spaced elements overhanging said shaft and rotatably straddling said fulcrum means, and a cam bodily carried by said shaft for closing said members upon rotation of said actuator.

6. In a clasp, complementary clamping members, horizontal fulcrum means for pivotally sustaining said members together, spring means for holding said members open, an actuator comprising a vertically disposed shaft, means overhanging said shaft and rotatably straddling said fulcrum means, and means bodily carried by said shaft for closing said members upon rotation1 thereof and for preventing opening of said members in the closed position of said members.

'7. In a clasp, complementary clamping members, horizontal fulcrum means for pivotally sustaining said members together, spring means for holding said members open, an actuator comprising a vertically disposed rotatable shaft, means overhanging said shaft and rotatably straddling said fulcrum means, a cam bodily carried by said shaft and comprising a relatively rectilinear end face, said cam upon rotation of said shaft cooperating with one of said members to move the same 'towards the other to close said members, said rectilinear face in the closed position of said members cooperating with said moved member to prevent opening of said members.

8. In a clasp, complementary clamping members, horizontal fulcrum means for pivotally sustaining said members together, spring means for holding said members open, an actuator comprising a vertically disposed rotatable shaft, means overhanging said shaft and rotatably straddling said fulcrum means, a cam bodily carried by said shaft and comprising a relatively rectilinear end face, said cam upon rotation of said shaft cooperating with one of said members to move the same towards the other to close said members, said rectilinear face in the closed position of the members engaging with said moved member to prevent opening of said members, and f a manipulating loop secured to said shaft for slidably sustaining flexible suspending means.

9. In a clasp, a pair of clamping reinforced members, horizontal fulcrum means for pivotally sustaining said members together, spring means for holding said members open, an actuator comprising a vertically disposed rotatable shaft, means carried by said shaft and rotatably straddling said fulcrum means, one of said members having an opening for receiving in part said overhanging means to prevent tilting of said shaft, and a cam bodily carried by said shaft and comprising a relatively flat end face, said cam upon rotation of said shaft cooperating with one of said members to move the same towards the other to close said members, said flat face in the closed position of said members frictionally cooperating With said moved member to prevent opening of said members.

10. In a clasp, a pair of reinforced clamping members, horizontal fulcrum means for pivotally sustaining said members together, spring means for holding said members open, an actuator comprising a vertically disposed rotatable shaft, means carried by said shaft and rotatably straddling said fulcrum means, one of said members having an opening for receiving in part said overhanging means to prevent tilting of said shaft, and a cam bodily carried by said shaft and comprising a relatively flat end face, 'said cam4 upon rotation of said shaft cooperating with one of said members to move the same towards the other to close said members, said iiat face in the closed position of said members frictionally engaging with said moved member to prevent opening of said members, said cam upon further or counter rotation of said shaft being free of said moved member whereby said spring means automatically urges said members to open.

11. In a clasp, complementary clamping members, fulcrum means pivotally sustaining said members together, a spring for holding said members open, an actuator comprising a shaft substantially normal to said fulcrum means,

spaced elements overhanging said shaft and rotatably straddling said fulcrum means, a cam carried by said shaft for closing said members upon rotation of said actuator, said cam comprising means to prevent opening of said members, and supplementary locking means to prevent unlocking of said members.

12. The clasp according to claim 11 in which said supplementary lockingY means comprises detent means carried by said actuator adapted to removably interlock with indent means disposed in one of said members.

13. In a clasp, complementary pivotally associated clamping members, an actuator rotatable relative to said members, a cam carried by said actuator adapted to engage and move one of said members towards the other to hold said members in a closed relation, spring means cooperating with said members to resist closing thereof and for automatically separating thereof pursuant to disengagement of said cam from said one member, and supplementary locking means independent of said cam to prevent rotation of said actuator for holding said members in a closed relationship.

14. In a clasp, complementary pivotally associated clamping members, a vertically disposed actuator rotatable relative to said members,.a cam carried by said actuator adapted to engage and move one of said members towards the other to hold said members in a closed relation, spring means cooperating with said members to resist closing thereof and for automatically separating thereof pursuant to disengagement of said cam from said one member, and supplementary disconnectable locking means comprising detent means depending from said actuator and cooperative indent means in one of said members for removably interlocking with said detent means during engagement of said cam with said one member to prevent involuntary rotation of said actuator and cam to preclude accidental opening of said members when in a closed relation.

SAMUEL SEGAL. 

